When I talk to business owners and executives, they usually have concerns about the results they’re getting from their IT operations.
In some cases, they have experienced major downtime due to poor backup or security procedures. For others, the business is growing and the current arrangement for technology planning and support just can’t keep up. Most commonly, they’re tired of having things break and their current provider taking too long to respond — if they get hold of that person at all!
One of the biggest misconceptions that business people have about IT is that one or two people can handle all IT issues.
In the old days of information technology for small and mid-size businesses, one IT guy would usually have the knowledge and skills required to get the job done.
Today, the amount of knowledge that is required to support an organization has increased, the IT environment in organizations has become more complex, and the type of internal resources that organizations need to manage IT has changed. The fact is, it takes a multitude of different skill levels to successfully provide all of the different facets of IT. The field of technology is so vast and specialized that it “takes a village” to plan, design, administer, protect, and support a small- to medium-sized businesses.
In almost all cases, the aforementioned IT situations and issues could have been avoided if a proactive approach to information technology had been implemented.
The key to getting great results from IT is in the process created by the IT provider for supporting organizations of your size and complexity.
If the outsourced IT support company or internal IT department does not have good, documented processes and proactive procedures in place, the end users, and ultimately the business, will pay in lack of efficiency and unpredictable results.
The specific situations vary, but what it boils down to is that business owners and executives want better, more predictable results from their IT at a predictable cost. If you need assistance reviewing your IT situation, consider having a business conversation with a trusted IT consultant. They deal with business technology all the time and can give you an objective perspective on whether your “normal” is the best it can be. And if at all possible, don’t wait until you’re in an emergency situation.
Being proactive about getting your IT under control will save you time, money, and headaches.
